What is the most positive thing that has ever happened to you in the hobby?

You mean something like this? http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php/630466-BEST-Doll-Experience-Ever

 

There's a lot of positives in this hobby. Two of the biggest:

Seeing DOA, one of the largest boards in this hobby, take a stand against recasting and supporting artists. That's a wonderful thing to me.

Seeing the creativity this hobby nurtures-- stellar seamstresses, photographers, faceup artists, story-tellers. There's talent all over the place here!

That happened to me personally:

Meeting wonderful people at meets and having fun.

Getting my ultimate grail doll this year, after giving up hope of ever getting him.

Getting cute messages, extra clothes, candy and assorted extras from sellers here. Especially the notes. I keep them all to remember that there are some truly nice people out there.

Seeing and getting to know other people's dolls through gallery posts and photostories. The worlds other people build for their dolls and the care they take portraying them is wonderful.

Seeing people encourage and help each other out in the Reference and Workshop sections.

There's others that's not coming to mind currently, but those are some of the things I like most.

 

Getting interested in the dolls has given me a renewed interest in being creative and having a hobby. I gave up all my hobbies (except computer games) when I became disabled. Now I'm interested in sewing and crafts again.

 

* receiving freebies from sellers with my orders.
* winning a giveaway.
* seeing a doll coming together.
* finding the right character and names for your doll.
* seeing unknown sculpts being brought to attention due to someone's amazing customization.
* people supporting the artists.
* pictures of bjds with pets / animals.
* pictures of bjds with their owners.

 

I LOVE going through the box opening forum looking for 'my first doll!' posts. The photos aren't always great, wigs and clothing and eyes might not be 'all together,' but that doesn't matter. These posts are almost always jubilant. The joy and love and wonder of FINALLY getting one's first BJD is absolutely magical.

I LOVE the little dolly chats that happen occasionally. This is still and will always be a niche hobby, so we all seem pretty interested in doll-themed friendly interaction when the opportunity arises. As a customizer, I've recently been having longer discussions with some recurring clients, and it is so wonderful to hear about others' dolls and plans and share some of my own.

I LOVE the LOVE that people express freely in this hobby. I love seeing a much-beloved roleplay character come to life, or the accurate miniaturization of a celebrity, or the beautiful portrayal of a fictional character. We're all just playing with dolls, and these dolls make us happy. I love it when we can embrace the peace and positivity this hobby brings us, because there's enough nastiness in the 'real world.' Here? I just wanna play with dolls. c:

 

I love seeing people bringing their inner world to life. That's why I love photostories and the pictures people submit to the gallery, because it is inspiring to see people using their imagination so freely! I've found that due to the demands of adult life, I've been ignoring my imagination and filling my mind with worries. This hobby and this forum have been the best spark for my creative work. I also enjoy the discussions because I've found this community overall to be kind and creative.

 

the most positive things that i meet from this hobby is i fetch this luts HDF Cream, and this doll is kinda less people own, coincidence i meet a person from Malaysia, staying at near area to me, and same age range fetching the same sculpt!! we have came out for a doll meet, and i love this friend, we had so much coincidence happen!!

 

What makes me really happy
- Opening the box and the doll looks better than the photos on the website.
- Finding the perfect doll
- Doing photoshoots
- Meeting nice people in the hobby

But the best it that BJDs saved my creativity. 3 or 4 years ago the stress at job and the fact that I had stopped all my hobbies got me in a big down. Even my friend said I wasn't the same. But the hobby hits me and I found new creative ways. Somehow, it also cured me from a burn-out! Never been more happier 'til then. They gave me back the need to create

 

-The Wonderful people I've met along the way. Really they always brighten my day and everyone's so kind and supportive, I feel like they're family more than just friends.
-I love seeing the creativity the dolls inspire such as people taking the same sculpt and making it unique.
-When I've slaved over some sewing project for days and when I finally dress the doll it's for it looks as good (or better) than it did in my head ^_^.

 

I have never had anything big happen in the hobby for me, but I really enjoy the fact that there's a lot of groups and websites where you can talk to people with the same interests . Even if it's ''just'' online, since I'm quite the introvert, to me it still feels like I belong somewhere. Also, I have made a lovely friend through this hobby which I'm very grateful for .

 

Being accepted by others in the hobby long before I had any BJDs of my own. I had admired them from afar for several years, but after getting to know some people in the BJD world, I finally brought my first girls home.

 

Besides discovering the dolls themselves, I have met wonderful people at events who have become some of my closest friends.

I LOVE that! It happened with my very first BJD, and he is still my favorite.

This happened to me too! I had been collecting fashion dolls for decades, and I liked them. But my first BJD made me so happy that even my coworkers noticed a difference in my behaviour. They joked that my doll was my therapist. :-) BJDs are a creative outlet for me in so many ways. Fashion dolls couldn't even come close.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

Meeting new people and sharing the hobby with old friends and re-bonding over it. BJD owners are just the most fantastic and creative people around, I think!

...and the beautiful dolls themselves-- in photos or in person. BJDs are all just WOW!!!

 

I really didn't get this until I signed up for this forum. That forum is where I go when I need a lift-me-up.

As for me, a friend gave me one of her rare DIM Mana Minimee heads after I told her I am saving up for my first Minimee of Mana when I realized this was possible to do now. She and I both have been devout but very, very quiet fans of the J-rocker since the mid-1990s. We haven't seen or talked to each other for more than a decade but we got in touch again. She encouraged me to sign up for DoA and have just been a really good friend. I'm still terrified of just even looking at my new head because I have this crazy fear it'll break in half or something.

 

A few of the positive things that I have gotten from this hobby is:
- I've met some really wonderful people
- it's fueled my creativity with sewing and crafting for the dolls
- it gives me a sort of "happy place"....it's nice to take a break from the world and just photograph my dolls, or change their outfits...

 

DoA of course!

Swaps always make me happy, I like to pick out things for other people's dolls and to include a little note with it.

Freebies from companies, it can even be a postcard. I always keep them or pass the love along when I sell a doll.

Even after leaving the hobby for a few years it was still easy to come back and start posting. I've never been able to be apart of an online community in the way I've enjoyed DoA.

 

Oh there's just so much!

To me it's all good, but these are some top points for me -

* The inspiration these dolls give me to be creative! I really feel like BJDs are an all-inclusive hobby. I paint them, I sew for them, I photograph them... What more could you ask for? I'm always pushing myself to improve these skills, there's just always something new to do. Next on the list might be to try some modding XD

* The community! Both online and my local group. People who love dolls are pretty fantastic and creative and I just love seeing what people do with their dolls.

* The excitement I get at opening a new doll. It never fails to amaze me that after owning more than 20 dolls a new arrival can still be just as exciting as the first one.

* The foolish smile I get every time I look at them! I can be having the worst day but all I have to do is spend a few minutes with my dolls and I can feel all my stress and frustration melt away.

 

Here is what makes me really happy:

• Buying my first doll! There is nothing like the feeling of receiving a doll in the mail. All of that anticipation turns into excitement! I go through all the endless possibilities of customizing my doll and making her/him my own!
• Searching for another doll to save up for. As much as it seems tedious sometimes, it's almost like an adventure for me. Again anticipation sets in. I try to make sure that this is the doll I really want, and the feeling of falling in love with a sculpt! I have my eyes on the Soul Doll Katie.
• Experimenting: I have done a lot of crafts that I have never attempted before. This includes but is not limited to: Faceups, Jewelry making, Sewing.
• When you find the perfect prop for your BJD's at a random store. I've found some potential items to use for my doll's setup; such as furniture jewelry boxes. I have also been searching for a really cute tea set for my dolls. I cant wait to take picture of my BJD pet Nei with some mini tea cups. Or I might just buy a fancy tea cup to stick her in. I plan on giving everyone cute-heart attacks in the future.
• Receiving freebies! Got a free wig when I got my Linda from Angel of Fantasy.